


A Second Chance

by elenavio22



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Family, Eventual Sex, F/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-03-24 05:49:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13804743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenavio22/pseuds/elenavio22
Summary: A young woman wakes up in an alley amongst the trash and rats in the worst city possible; Gotham. Barely surviving attacks from Gotham's lowest of the low, she's picked up by a stranger in a weird costume claiming to want to help her.





	1. Awakening

Chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yí zhì. 

Someone told me this once.

No.

Not once, but many times.

Someone important.

But who was it?

Who was it?

I can't...

I don't remember. 

"She dead?"

"Nah, she's breathin'."

Voices. I could hear voices. Real ones this time. Am I relieved? Should I be?

"Lucky." one of the voices said with a chuckle.

No. I am not relieved. The hair on the back of my neck told me that I'm not. 

"Let's at least get her off the streets, man." the other voice said, almost pleading. 

"Why? You scared or somethin'?"

I could hear the other voice click his tongue.

"You scared of the bat?" the voice teased. "Or his little birdie?"

Bat? Bird? Why be afraid of those animals? Stupid. 

Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm harshly. I yelped in response; feeling a sharp pain and an odd warmth trickle down my arm. I'm wounded. I quickly opened my eyes, meeting the intense stare of one of the owners of the voices. Dark sunken eyes and hollow cheeks covered in dirt and grime were millimeters away from my face and immediately made me squirm. His breath stank of rotting teeth and cheap alcohol, making me turn my face away, unable to face his wretched face. I tried to tug my arm away, but his grip tightened around my wounded arm drawing out another cry in pain. 

"No getting away from me, sweetheart," my attacker laughed out. "God, you're hot."

"Come on, man," the other voice called. "Not here."

Another man stood behind him. I looked over at him and found that he was not in a much better state than my captor. Another tug on my arm. 

"Don't go lookin' at him for help, sweetheart," my attacker said with a disgusting smirk. "Now let's have some fun."

I felt his hand slowly creep its way to the zipper of my coat while his other held me down by my shoulder. He pushed his bony, filthy hand into my jacket, gripping a breast with a vile smile on his face. So I'm a woman. Wonderful. I choked back a bit of bile that rose in my throat as I snuck my leg up to place a foot on his chest and kicked as hard as I could. He flew back and hit the concrete with a lot more force than I had imagined. I looked down at myself expecting to see a much larger body but found a far smaller frame. No wonder why the other man stood in disbelief; his mouth agape. 

I stood up too fast and quickly regretted it as my head began to spin wildly, making me stagger backward a bit in order to regain my footing. I could hear the light patting of liquid hitting the already damp concrete below me. I looked down to see my side was gushing blood much like my arm. I needed to act fast. My attention was suddenly turned back to the two men as the man I kicked finally recovered and slowly peeled himself from the ground. 

"Shit!" he yelled as he gripped his side, wincing in pain. 

Broken ribs, probably. He was going to be angry. I would. I knew that lingering would not improve my chances of survival so I quickly turned on my heel, running towards the sound of cars and other, hopefully much more pleasant, people. I could hear my attacker yelling out at me, but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying as my head began to spin again. I'm losing too much blood. The adrenaline was pumping through me causing me to bleed out much faster. My pace slowed down to a slow stagger as my legs grew heavy under my weight. My ears barely registered the sound of feet stomping after me. My breathing became labored as I struggled to reach the end of the seemingly endless alleyway; willing myself to keep going. The sudden pair of hands that wrapped around my neck was confirmation of my failure. 

"Fucking freak!" the man shouted as he tightened his grip. 

I tried to claw at his hands, but my body had already become weak from the extreme blood loss. My lungs screamed for air as my death dealer choked me fiercely, his friend screaming for him to stop. I was going to die here. I was going to die amongst the filth of this city that I didn't know the name of. I was going to die without knowing why I was here. I was going to die without knowing who I-

The hands that gripped my neck so tightly quickly released me and my body fell limply to the ground. My vision blurry, I spotted a fuzzy figure approaching from the end of the alleyway that I failed to reach. 

"The Bat?!" the man shouted with intense fear in his voice. 

"Not quite," the figure said. "You're not that lucky."

A loud bang sounded throughout the alley accompanied by a bright flash. I heard the sound of gurgling behind me, but I kept my eyes on the figure before me. He kneeled down in front of me, brushing a few hairs from my face. I looked up to see his face, but was met with...red? My body betrayed me now as it began to fail; the life slowly flowing out of me. 

"Hold on, kid," I heard him say. "Hold on for me."

He picked me up gently, cradling me in his arms. My head fell to his hard chest; the smell of leather and gunpowder filling my nose. 

"I'm gonna get you some help, kid. I promise."

I was lost in the blackness again.


	2. The Hard Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in another strange place, the unknown woman finds herself up against another potential threat...the Bat.

    Not long now, xiǎo ɡōnɡ jǔ. 

This voice...

It's important to me.

The most important voice of all. 

But why can't I remember it's owner?

Are they...truly that precious to me?

My eyes fluttered open as I came to; my vision struggling to adjust to my new environment. My body felt terribly heavy and sore. I looked around slowly wincing slightly from the pain in my neck. Even the bulky neck brace that held it taut could not absorb the wave of pain that flowed through me now. Strangulation is no joke. Looking to my right I spotted an IV leading straight to my arm and to my left was a heart monitor with all its cords linked to me. Yet, oddly enough that was not of the utmost importance at the moment for I found myself in the strangest of places. Huge stalactites hung menacingly from the high ceiling above me with large electrical wires weaving in and out of them. I stretched as far as my severely bruised neck would allow to peer at the ground surrounding me which was not a hard cave floor, but some sort of man-made metal platform. Where the hell-?

"Why would you bring her here?"

The sudden sound of voices made me nearly jump out of my skin and I cursed the damn machine beside me for making my sudden fright public knowledge. Luckily for me, the new visitors either didn't hear or chose to ignore it. It didn't matter either way. Soon they would make their way over to me and I was pessimistic about a second attempt at escape. 

"She's not just some kid I picked up," another voice answered back with a snap. "She's not-"

"She's not my problem."

These voices sounded different from the men before. But it didn't mean I could trust them. I didn't know who I could trust considering that I didn't know anyone. No one. It hit me then. I am...alone. 

"Take her to the hospital like you should've in the first place."

"You're not listening to me. She's not a normal woman. I watched her."

"What do you mean?"

Not normal? I didn't feel abnormal. Was there something wrong with me?

"When she was fighting off the bastard who attacked her she kicked him hard, really hard. Sent him flying."

"You've seen how adrenaline affects people."

"You didn't see it."

The kick. I suppose that was a bit odd considering my size. I myself imagined a bigger body than the one I have. The man called me a freak afterward as well. Was it that bad?

"What about the wounds?"

"What about them?"

"Those are no ordinary wounds. Those are skillful blows. With a proper weapon. She had to have been in a fight recently."

I didn't even think about that. I had no idea where I got these wounds. There's no way the man who attacked me in the alley could have done them. So where had they come from? 

"You think there's a new player in town?"

"I don't know, but shouldn't you get a handle on the situation before it becomes a situation?"

I heard the other man grumble in response. 

"Just keep her here until we can find out more. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Where are you off to?"

"I was on my way to a very important date before I found her. This was just a pit stop."

Saving me was just a pit stop? What an asshole. The sound of footsteps faded away from me while another pair grew louder as someone grew closer. I could feel my whole body tense up as I caught sight of a tall menacing figure approaching my bedside. As it grew closer, I could see it was a man, but dressed in a sort of armored black and grey suit with a large dark yellow utility belt secured tightly around his waist. The pointed ears on his black cowl hiding his face mirrored the large black bat sprawled across his chest and attached to a long swooping pitch black cape that blew slightly behind him as he walked swiftly to my bedside. Is this the Bat those men were so afraid of? I certainly understood their fear now that he stood a few meters away from me. 

"You're awake."

His voice was a deep growl that could easily intimidate anyone, but I chose to stand my ground. I didn't know if I was brave before all of this, but I was going to be now. I met his stare easily, refusing to appear meek in his presence. If I was to die here, it would not be like how it almost came to be in that alley. I knew that I could no longer fight, but I would not die begging for my life. Perhaps someone would be proud. 

"You survived being strangled and almost bleeding out. I can see why that would make you feel confident."

I froze for a moment, losing my hard demeanor almost instantly. He saw right through me. 

"Who are you?" he said impatiently. 

I stared at him quietly, still attempting some sort of resistance. 

"Who. Are. You?" He demanded. 

I clenched my teeth and tensed up even more than I thought was possible as he moved in closer, his masked eyes trained on me. I decided to try to say something back, but as I opened my mouth a terrible strained sound was all that came out. Incredible pain shot through my neck, almost as if hundreds of nails were shoved down my throat, scraping every inch of it as they fell. A rogue tear escaped my eyes as I writhed in pain. 

When the pain finally dulled, I opened my eyes to see a pen and paper placed before me. The harsh look on the Bats face did not waver. 

"Answer. Now," he growled. 

I sighed miserably as I grabbed the pen and paper, balancing it on my leg, but as I put the pen to the paper preparing to write, I stopped suddenly. I felt more tears pool at the edge of my eyes, begging for them not to fall. 

"Tell me," he demanded, growing angrier by the second. 

But how was I to answer? With all that had happened since I woke I had pushed aside the thoughts that could potentially break me. I couldn't bring myself to answer the most essential question of all. The question I wanted to put off for as long as I possibly could. The hard question. 

Who am I?

"You have 10 seconds to answer me. Who are you?!"

I scribbled furiously, holding back the tears that began to overflow and when I finished I quickly held it out to him, thrusting my hand into his face. 

"You don't know?" He said angrily. "Do not play games with me and answer me. Who are you?"

I kept tapping and tapping the paper while my tears rushed down my cheeks, drenching the sheets that covered me. I couldn't control the awful sobs that ripped through my lips setting my throat aflame. All the while I kept furiously tapping and tapping my note, wishing I could just disappear. Tears blinded me as I continued to sob; the pain in my throat continuing to grow. The Bat finally ripped the paper from my hand and I heard him crumple it angrily as I bowed my head in shame. 

"MASTER BRUCE!" 

A different voice rang throughout the cave causing both mine and the Bat's heads to snap up in surprise. An old man dressed in a black suit with matching white gloves and black silk cravat stood at the other end of the platform, his arms crossed and his white-mustached face stern. 

"That is quite enough!" 


	3. The House Pet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a new ally on her side, things start to look up for the mysterious girl found on the dark streets of Gotham. For now.

  Bruce? That surely wasn't my name so it must be...

"What are you doing?!" The Bat hissed.

Ah. Him. 

The older man walked towards us, stopping when he reached the opposite side of my bed, glaring at the man I now knew was actually called "Bruce".

"I understand that this is quite a shock for you; having a woman dropped off in the Bat Cave, but you must control yourself." 

Bat Cave? Is that what they called this place? If the situation were different I would openly laugh at such a ridiculous thing.

"We don't know her," Bruce spat angrily. "She could be a threat and you just gave her everything she needs to take us down." 

I wanted to scoff, but I knew I was on thin ice and needed to do whatever I could to avoid anymore extreme confrontation. I wish I could explain how I had no idea what they were talking about, where I was, who they are, or even who I was. I figured it wouldn't really translate well on paper so I just listened patiently while they sorted it out themselves. My future was now in the hands of an old man in a delicately pressed suit, who was up against a very angry giant of a man in an armored bat suit. My odds were not looking good. 

"Yelling at the poor woman will not get you what you want, sir," the old man replied sternly. "She obviously cannot answer your questions at this time."

"She is a threat."

"Not at the moment. At the moment she is a woman who needs our help. Who needs Bruce Wayne's help as well as Batman's."

They stared silently at each other for a moment before the man called Bruce begrudgingly pushed his cowl from his face revealing a pair of bright blue eyes and jet black hair, tussled slightly from its former hiding place. He was...handsome. A chiseled jaw and sculpted face are certainly nothing to sneeze at. He gave me a scornful look before turning his back to me and the other man who now place a warm hand on my shoulder. 

"She will stay down here until we learn more," he grumbled. 

"Of course, sir."

I blinked. Just like that? The old man was better than I thought. Or perhaps Bruce/Batman wasn't as fearsome as he portrayed himself to be. Either way, I was safe for the moment. I felt a light squeeze on my shoulder as I watched Bruce disappear into the cave. 

"He really isn't quite as bad as some may think," the old man tried to assure me. "He is the one, in fact, who patched you up."

I was a bit unsure about what to think at the moment. Everything has happened at a pace that I couldn't quite keep up with. Nothing really felt safe to me. I was left vulnerable with no name, no home, or no one to claim me. To trust these weird men was my only choice. It was going to be a very hard thing to do. 

"Alfred Pennyworth," the old man announced as he held out his gloved hand to me. 

I eyed him suspiciously, wondering why in the world did he reveal his full name to me. Or the Bat's name. Did I seem trustworthy? Is it because I am a woman? Because I'm wounded? 

"You have nothing to fear from me, miss," he stated after seeing the odd look on my face. "As I said before, you need help and we are more than willing to give it to you."

He is...strange. 

The man called Alfred kept his word much to my surprise and looked after me quite well. The man in the red who brought me into the care of the strange pair, however, did not return the next day as he had promised. Bruce was clearly disgruntled by his failure to appear. I wanted to inquire into the identity of my rescuer, but I thought it best to stay silent on the matter as Bruce wasn't pleased about me finding out his identity. Days passed by with my only source of timekeeping being the meals in which Alfred delivered so kindly to me. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a small snack before bed were delivered promptly every day as I healed. Bruce hardly ever came down to the "Bat Cave" and when he did, it was only to go out on his late night "patrol" as he called it. I felt a little better in this odd little routine, but I knew it was only a matter of time before my small piece of peace was interrupted. 

There were other oddities added to my increasingly mysterious story as the days passed by. According to Bruce, I was healing much faster than any other human. Not quite superhuman, but enough to be noted. I, for one, felt as though I wasn't healing fast enough. My neck and throat no longer burned in pain, but the dull throbbing was no picnic either. The constant poking and prodding were enough to drive me mad as well as the seemingly endless imprisonment in the dark cave.  Even with his extensive research, Bruce could find no trace of me anywhere on this Earth. It frustrated him to no end, his brows furrowing deeply every time he set his bright blue eyes on me. I couldn't help but wonder if I had even existed beforehand. How could someone just pop up out of nowhere?

After days of the silent treatment from Bruce, he finally approached me, clearly at his wit's end. Alfred stood silently behind him, a look of deep concern on his face. Bruce ran his large hand through his dark locks, sighing slightly before speaking. 

"You have to remember something?" he said almost pleading. "A fragment? Anything?"

I had wracked my brain since I got here, but I couldn't think of any evidence that I even had a past. I was just as frustrated as he was, maybe even more so. There was nothing...

"Ah," I croaked as I recalled something. "A dream."

My voice was still so very strained, but gaining the ability to speak was a godsend since the one-sided screaming match with Bruce.

Bruce said nothing as he stared at me intently, both he and Alfred hanging on my every word. 

"Someone in my dream," I began. "Keeps saying the same thing over and over."

"Someone?" he asked his dark brows raising slightly. 

"I don't know who they are," I answered apologetically. "I can't even remember what they sound like when I wake up, but I know that it comforts me."

He eyed me for a moment before nodding his head for me to continue. 

"Chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yí zhì."

Bruce said nothing as he stared at me rather stunned. It was Alfred who finally broke the silence. 

"Is that Chinese?" he asked. "What does it mean?"

"Its a proverb," Bruce answered for me, his eyes still set on me. "'Fall into a pit but learn from the experience,' or something like that."

I nodded my head in agreement. 

"So you speak Chinese?" Alfred asked. 

Bruce had pointed out early on that I appeared to be at least half Asian in ethnicity, but it was never specified what region. Did this mean I was Chinese? This little crumb of information felt like a mountain to me. Nothing was to come of it though as it is a commonly used proverb, but it certainly meant something to me. I noticed that after that information came to light, Bruce began to avoid me even more than before. As for me, the speck of information began to lose its shine as the days went by and I soon felt as lost as I did before. 

Finally, Alfred had decided that he had enough. I don't know if it was because he grew tired of coming down to the darkness of the cave at all hours of the day to check on me or if he really meant the words of kindness that he spoke, but he finally forced Bruce to agree to free me from my imprisonment. 

"Even after days upon days of research, we've come up with nothing pertaining to her identity," Alfred stated. "We can not keep her down here forever."

When I was finally strong enough to walk on my own, Alfred made one last trip down to meet me, handing me simple jeans and shirt to wear and then led me to the glass tube-like elevator I had been staring at all throughout my stay, dreaming of one day being able to enter. He ushered me inside with a gentle hand on my back and then followed me inside, the doors shutting behind him. We began to rise up the tube and my nerves began to show. Alfred had once told me there were others like Bruce who lived in the house above that had been aware of my presence, but I had never been allowed to see them since I was still considered a threat. I was going to meet them with no knowledge about them, but they had been armed with the little known about me. 

We reached the end of the ride, ending up at what appeared to be a dark piece of wood until it slid open, revealing a large room full of large overflowing wooden bookcases on almost every wall. The high walls were decorated with elegant, timeless paintings and beautiful large rugs of deep reds and golds lay before each dark leather loveseat that was sprawled across the gorgeous deep mahogany floor. I stopped and turned to the secret bookcase we had just opened eyeing it carefully.

"A hidden door bookcase is a bit...," I started to say. 

 "Master Wayne can be a bit theatrical at times if you hadn't noticed," Alfred answered with a sly smile on his face. 

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. Alfred then led me out of the library, down the lavishly decorated hall and finally to an equally lavish living room. My hopes of avoiding the other members of the Wayne household for as long as possible were dashed as I was met with two pairs of blue eyes; one pair not too different from Bruce's. 

"So there's the new house pet." 


	4. Late Night Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist meets the other residents of Wayne Manor and begins to think about her future. After settling into her new room, she hears a light rapping at her window. A late night visitor appears.

Pet? Is everyone in this house a pompous ass? Excluding Alfred of course, but this was a bit ridiculous. The boy who so kindly addressed me in such a manner was just that, a boy. Despite his childish appearance, he had an odd look about him like he had knowledge far beyond his years. His bright blue eyes and dark hair were eerily reminiscent of the original pompous ass I had the displeasure of meeting before.

"I think what he meant to say was, 'Hello, it's nice to meet you,'" the other one said, turning my gaze to him. "My name is Tim and this is Damian."

He held his hand out to me with a slight smile on his face eyeing me curiously. I took his hand and shook it, staying silent. He was older than the one called "Damian" and looked a bit like him, but with far kinder eyes and softer features. He had the same blue in his eyes and the same dark locks upon his head, but he wore his hair a bit longer than the tight cut Damian kept. 

"I wouldn't plan on staying long," Damian huffed. "Father isn't pleased."

Aha. Father. That explains everything. 

"Master Damian that is quite enough," Alfred interjected. "She is our guest."

"As long as doesn't forget that she is just that, a guest." 

I rolled my eyes gaining a small snicker from the one called Tim. 

"I couldn't imagine anyone staying here with you any more than they absolutely have to, so you don't have much to worry about with me," I said dryly. 

That was followed by a pair of laughs from the older gentlemen and a very intense glare from the very unamused boy. I seem to have a bit of a mouth on me. Better than being meek I suppose. 

"Come along, miss, I'll show you to your room," Alfred said with one last chuckle. 

I followed him up the absurdly elegant staircase, careful of the tasteful carpets that dressed them. I was led into a long hall lined with large towering windows with white frames that reached high to the ceiling and each was given a small cushioned seat at its base with its heavy curtains pushed aside for a what I imagined would be a nice view outside. It was too dark out to tell what it might look like outside, but I could easily imagine myself nestled peacefully inside one of those cushioned nooks peering down at the courtyard below, the sun shining ever so brightly on my skin warming my face. We finally reached the end of the hall and stopped in front of the last door. Alfred pushed the door open, revealing a far too large room and in it an equally preposterously sized bed. I turned to Alfred to give him a confused look, but he merely nodded and motioned for me to go in. On the opposite side of the room hung another pair of heavy curtains that certainly hid another enormous window. The floors were a dark mahogany wood, yet not even a small creak was heard as I walked upon them; only the light tap of my heels echoed about the large room. A vanity and its matching highboy dresser filled the rest of the space with a door that surely led to an adjoining bathroom. 

"Isn't this a bit much?" I asked turning to Alfred once more. 

"Master Wayne wanted you to be comfortable as possible during your stay."

"He did or you did?"

He gave me a gentle smile as my answer and moved back towards the door. 

"Do get some rest tonight, Miss...,"

I saw his face fall as he quickly realized his mistake, but I gave him a reassuring smile. 

"I suppose I need to call myself something until I remember my name," I said with a thoughtful look. "I'm not quite sure how to go about it though."

"You could always browse about the library for some inspiration." 

"I might have to do that," I said with a thankful look. 

"Goodnight, miss," Alfred said with a smile. 

"Goodnight, Alfred."

He left with a soft click of the door. I waited until I heard the tap of his footsteps fade away before I leaped onto the giant bed with a goofy giggle. It was just as soft as it looked; much more comfortable than the bed down in that blasted cave. I rolled onto my back, dreamily staring up at the ceiling letting out a large sigh. A name? I wish I could remember my own since the very thought of picking out a name for myself gave me a bit of an anxious feeling anytime it crossed my mind. People picked out names for themselves when they want to have a name that they felt truly represented them as a person. I had no idea who I was. How was I supposed to choose a name that fit me? I suppose I could take Alfred's advice and look about the library and hope that something catches my attention. 

I stood up and moved to the door, but a thought suddenly popped into my head and I shuffled to the bathroom in a hurry. Thankful for the full-length mirror that hung on the back of the door, I stood in front of it gazing at the girl who appeared before me. I was just as petite as I figured with a lean, toned figure with curves that complimented the proportions of my body. My eyes were thankfully not another addition to the bright blue that seemed to congregate in this house, but a warm honey brown that complimented the olive undertone of my skin. Long dark tresses fell well below my shoulders, horribly disheveled from my bedridden days. I tried my best to comb through it with my fingers, but there were some parts that desperately needed a brush. I gave up after a few minutes of fussing and finally made my way out of the room. 

I carefully retraced my steps back to the oversized library and pushed inside. It was thankfully empty, leaving me to quietly poke around without hindrance. I randomly chose a bookcase from the seemingly endless array and began to eye the shelves, running my finger gently across the spines. Bruce was certainly a difficult man to deal with, but he had one hell of a book collection. Timeless classic after timeless classic was lined neatly across the shelves, but nothing seemed to grab my attention. I began to entertain thoughts of surrender until my eyes were captured by a small whithered book with the words Aos Sí written upon its almost completely diminished spine. 

"Aos Sí?" I questioned aloud. "Faeries?"

How did I know that? I dare not pull it from its place as much as I wanted to sift through it, fearing it would crumble in my hands so I stared at the words trying to recall the memory that tried desperately to push through. 

"Fay...," I whispered. 

I had heard it before. But where? From who? The voice in my dreams? But this was an Irish tale, not Chinese. Perhaps that was my other parentage? I wracked my brain trying to force the memory forward but only ended up growling in frustration. I threw myself onto the nearest couch, pouting in defeat. After a moment I looked over at the grandfather clock that was quietly ticking away in the corner and saw the time. It was late. I peeled myself off the couch and sulked the whole way back to my room. I shut the door behind me, clicked off the light, and threw myself once more onto the bed, too tired to change out of my borrowed clothes. I let my eyes fall and slowly felt my body grow heavy with sleep. 

A sudden rapping at my window gave me a terrifying start, my whole body leaping into the air. My heart stopped as the knocking continued after a slight pause. I tried to stay quiet and pretend I wasn't here, but even in my silence, the knocking continued sending the adrenaline pumping through my veins. They weren't going to stop. I thought about running through the house screaming for someone, but out of fear that my mind had conjured up such a terrible nightmare, I pushed the idea away. Instead came a new, more idiotic idea of walking towards that frightening window and slowly peeling away the curtains that would hide me from my possible attacker. And I did just that. My hands shook as I slowly pushed the curtains from the window. I peaked out, still hiding behind the curtain, playing out every horrible scenario I could think of. A large shadowy hand knocked loudly on my window sending me jumping back, a small yelp escaping my lips. 

"Open up, kid, it's freezing out here," a voice called. 

Kid? I looked more closely and saw that the shadowy hand belonged to a body whose shape I had surely seen before. I stepped closer with caution, my eyes squinting to make out the face of the shadowy figure, but all I could make out was a hint of...red. I vaguely remembered the sight from before, but still felt uneasy about this late night visitor. 

"Kid, it's me," the voice called again. "I saved your life, the least you could do is thank me by not letting me freeze my ass off."

"Who are you?" I called back. 

He sighed. 

"The alley? Those two assholes? Me, saving your ass? Ring a bell?"

I bit my lip unsure but still moved to unlock and slide open the window letting the figure slip in. I bawled up my fists tightly prepared for a fight if it should come to it. I stepped back letting the full light of the moon fall upon the figure so I could see it clearer. A tall man dressed in body armor decorated with a large wingspread bat on his chest much like Bruce's Batman stood before me. I still could not let myself relax for, unlike Batman, he had two guns strapped to his thighs and a brown leather jacket on him, but most importantly upon his head was a deep red helmet the gleamed in the moonlight with only small slits where the eyes should be. Who knew that there was something more bizarre than a man dressed as a bat?

"Took you long enough."

"You scared me."

He shrugged his shoulders, ignoring me and looked around the room. 

"Alfred gave you the good room, huh?"

"Who are you?" I demanded. 

"Straight to the point, eh? Kinda rude, but I like it."

I said nothing, my face forming a hideous scowl. Surely not the whole city was infected with this asshole-like attitude? Jerk after jerk just keep appearing before me. 

"Besides, shouldn't we be more concerned with who YOU are?"

He was really starting to piss me off. Whether he saved my life or not, he was truly a loathsome man. 

"You should leave." I hissed. 

"Not one for hospitality, are you kid? And to think Alfred set up you up so well."

"My name is not 'kid'."

"Then what is it then?"

I couldn't see his face, but there was no doubt that he had a big stupid smirk on his face. I felt the sudden urge to show him up. He would not get the best of me. Without a thought, I spat back at him trying to muster all the venom I possibly could in my voice. 

"Faye."

"Faye? That's your name?"

I felt like I could hear his grin grow wider. Cheeky bastard.

"For now," I admitted.


	5. One Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Faye" as she now calls herself, begins to learn a little bit more about her abilities and gains a new ally in the process. A promise is a promise, isn't it?

I didn't really know why that name spilled from my lips, but it didn't feel too foreign. It absolutely did not feel like it was my true name, but the word and it's meaning gave me a feeling of great comfort. It felt similar to the feeling of a warm embrace of a... Before I could finish the thought I was pulled out of the maze that was my mind by the sound of my late night visitor's voice calling for me.

"So you don't remember a thing, huh?" he said with an annoying amount of pity in his voice. 

I turned away from him, brushing the stray hairs that tickled my cheeks as the chill night air blew gently through the still open window. 

"Bits and pieces, but nothing of extreme value."

"Like what?"

I faced him once more, furrowing my brows as I gave him a skeptical look. 

"Who are you?" I questioned impatiently. 

He chuckled as he took a few steps toward me, the familiar smell of leather and gunpowder filling my nose once more. 

"Why? Interested?"

He stood quite close to me now, making me crane my neck to look him right in the, well...slits in his helmet. 

"Not even in the slightest," I answered plainly. "If you insist on prying into my personal matters, I should at least know who it is that I'm revealing myself to."

I couldn't really tell for sure, but he seemed to be mulling it over as he tapped his boot with a quiet hum for half a moment before he answered. 

"The Red Hood," he announced. 

"Pardon?"

"They call me the Red Hood."

He's mad. They all are. First a "Batman" and now this man christens himself the "Red Hood". I kept waiting for him to tell me he was joking or pull that ridiculous helmet off of his head and tell me his name was John or something far more believable than this. He stayed silent waiting for me to realize that this was indeed not a joke and that I had not fallen into some absurd dream.

"You're really not going to tell me your real name?"

"Not until I know yours," he said chuckling. 

I rolled my eyes quite dramatically but continued on. 

"I remembered that I speak Chinese," I told him taking a seat upon the bed. "And I have some rather inhuman talents as well."

"Yeah, that kick was quite a sight to see. The Bat told me about the accelerated healing too."

"He told you? I didn't know you two were working together."

He clicked his tongue and leaned against the far wall, next to the window folding his arms. 

"We're not. Not anymore anyway."

"You sound like you don't trust him."

"I don't."

"And yet you brought me to him."

He let out a small laugh rubbing the back of his neck and stepped towards the window. 

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who isn't interested."

I stood up then and walked towards him feeling the cold night air blow gently, goosebumps forming on my skin. 

"You entrusted my life to someone you don't even trust. You said you would help me. You promised."

I saw his shoulders tense at that and it almost made me regret my words, but I needed someone to trust someone. If I couldn't even trust the man who saved me, what was I supposed to do? I had no one. No one seemed to be looking for me. No one to miss me. Finally, he turned back to me, his head tilted down to meet my gaze. 

"I trust him with you," he whispered. 

"But not with yourself?" I asked. 

He was silent for a moment, but then suddenly cleared his throat and held his hand out towards the window as an invitation.

"Should we see what else you can do?"

I blinked. 

"What?"

Without a word, he snuck back out the window and with a leap falling down to the ground below. I expected to hear a painful yelp but was only met with silence so I moved towards the window, peaking out. I peered down to find my visitor standing unharmed below me, waving for me to come down. I sighed. This man was completely insane. But if I was to get the answers I needed, I knew I would have to play into the madness. I carefully sat on the window seal and slowly swung each leg out, my heart practically leaping out of my chest. The Hood was below motioning wildly for me to hurry it up, but I merely sneered at him as I kept my steady pace, terrified of being stuck in a bed for days on end once again. 

I truly meant to slide down to grasp the window with my hands so I could lessen the height of the fall but suddenly felt the air whipping around me as I fell to the ground. I guess I decided to take the fastest route in the end. I shut my eyes as I fell, waiting for the surely gruesome impact. To my surprise and the Hood's as well, I landed quite nicely on my feet with almost no sound. I looked up to find him nodding in approval, motioning a silent clap. I rolled my eyes and waved him off. 

"Come on, kid," he whispered as he began trekking across the huge lawn. 

I followed him into a large field behind the giant mansion and I found myself astounded at how fast my strong legs could carry me without losing hardly any stamina as we ran full force through the grass. We finally stopped when we were quite aways from the towering mansion with not another soul in sight. 

"What's all this about then? Planning on murdering me?" I asked jokingly. 

"What's the fun in that? Besides, I could've let you die in that alley."

I scoffed. 

"Feeling confident? Well then come on, kid, show me what you got."

I stared at him, furrowing my brows and folding my arms.

"This has gone far enough," I announced. "I'm not going t-"

Before I could finish a sudden flash of a fist entered my peripheral vision eliciting a reflexive block from my arm. The Hood did not hesitate to strike again, my body twisting to escape the second attack. Furious, I put a few paces between us before eyeing my opponent and moving into a roundhouse to test his reflexes. He caught me by the ankle almost staggering from the force and flipped me over; my body reflexively converting into a flip to keep me on my feet. It felt as though my body had woken up from some long slumber as we exchanged blows again and again. It wasn't as though my body had a mind of its own. My mind was very aware of every move and every strike it made as I battled on par with my opponent. A memory had been stirred out of the deep caverns of my mind. A part of me had awoken. 

Our forms danced across that grassy field; the moon beaming down on us as we went on for hours and hours until the sun began to peek over the horizon. The first rays of sunlight was a signal for our dance to finally come to an end. Both of us stood there panting, drenched in sweat as we stared at each other with an equal respect for one another. Maybe he isn't as bad as I thought. 

"We'll call it a tie then?" I asked with a laugh. 

"Not even close. I definitely had the upper hand the entire time."

I scoffed. Or maybe he was just an ass.  

"You seem to have mastered a variety of kung fu styles. The five animal forms for sure."

I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. That sounded familiar. I could almost hear the shouts of a master before it faded quickly from my mind once more.

"There are a few styles I didn't quite recognize so maybe there's something to search for there in terms of where you might have trained. Might lead us to more information about who you are."

I was actually...grateful. With all of the smart-mouthing he did, he was surprisingly helpful. His methods were a bit reckless, but I was still extremely grateful. One spec of information felt like a giant step forward considering there was not much to go on in the first place. 

"Sun is coming up so we should probably get you back."

We made our way back across the field to the manor and my open window, the adrenaline fading from my system and exhaustion finally weighing my weary body down. I stopped at the wall beneath my window and turned back to my companion. 

"Thank you," I said a small smile on my lips. 

"I knew you were interested," he teased. 

I shook my head at him and quickly shuffled up to my window, now unafraid of my recently discovered talents.

"Hey kid," Red Hood called from below. 

I poked my head out the window to peer down at him once more. 

"Faye," he began again. "I'm gonna keep my promise. Trust me."

And with that he walked off until I couldn't see him any longer; the roar of a motorcycle disappearing in the distance. 


	6. Keeping a Promise

"You said you would help me. You promised."

The steady tapping of the rain against my window threatened to pull me from my already restless sleep, but my stubborn body felt as though it kept trying to hit the snooze button to no avail. My heavy eyelids began to flutter, but I quickly squeezed them shut, refusing to heed to nature's alarm clock. Tap! Tap! Tap! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Eventually, I admitted defeat and begrudgingly opened my eyes with a long frustrated sigh. Darkness engulfed the small room, save for the small rays of streetlight that peeked through the blinds and the faint red light of the digits on the alarm clock. Five. I slept longer than usual. A good three hours were enough to keep me going on a normal day, I managed a fiver today. I figured my sleep schedule or lack thereof would come back to bite me in the ass one day, but I didn't sleep much these days. I couldn't. I had more important things to take care of anyway. 

I rose slowly from my bed, the springs squeaking obnoxiously loud from the loss of my weight. My body tensed as soon as my bare feet touched the freezing cold wood below, sending a deep shiver up my spine. Damn heater is broken again.

"I need a new place," I grumbled to myself as I made my way to the kitchen.

I went straight to the coffee pot, filling it as much as it would allow and placing it in the machine. I ignored the growling of my stomach knowing damn well it would do me no good to go looking in the cabinets only to find dust and cobwebs. I could grab something on the way out, but I wasn't quite sure where I was heading quite yet due to the recent upset in my schedule. The last couple of weeks have been complete an utter chaos, which sounds like another day in Gotham, but this was a special case. This weird woman seemingly popped out of nowhere causing quite a ruckus in that ol' mansion and that would usually amuse me, but I had foolishly gotten myself involved. A promise. It wouldn't take much to simply blow it off and get back to business, but something drew me to the case. Perhaps it was the same reason the old bat kept pressing for answers. None of us were quite accustomed to the phrase, "I don't know." We were always the people who knew. 

The sudden crackling of the coffee brought me out of my daze and I quickly poured myself a large cup, taking the pot with me as well, sensing that it was gonna be a multiple pots kind of night. I moved to the tiny kitchen table where my laptop continued to whizz away from the night before. Even without looking I knew every scan still came up empty for any trace of our mystery woman. I gulped down the first cup of the night, immediately refilling and began tuning into the Gotham Police Department Database. I began looking for any heavy hitters who were prowling that night our dear damsel appeared. A few hits, but nothing too interesting. A couple of petty thefts and grand theft, but all in all a surprisingly quiet night in Gotham. There's no way a woman like that could just sneak into Gotham without notice. Someone had to have seen her. Even without the battle wounds and crazy enhanced abilities, she wasn't someone you'd just ignore walking down the street. She was an attractive woman in a seedy city with an insane crime rate, especially against women. So what's the connection? 

One pot down and still not a whole lot of progress. I wasn't going to get anywhere staring at a screen. Time to hit the streets. Perhaps, this time...not alone. I could feel my lips tug into a smirk. Date night.

***

Knock, knock, knock!  
My body struggled against the heavy sleep that gripped me as the persistent knocking continued. I fought the grogginess and pulled my eyelids open, slowly lifting myself from the warm embrace the comforter.  
"Miss, missing breakfast and lunch are one thing, but I must insist that you take dinner."  
Alfred? For someone he barely knew, he really did look after me.  
"I'll be out in a minute." I croaked out, my mouth still dry from sleep.  
I sluggishly made my way to the bathroom, one arm outstretched searching for the light. When my eyes finally adjusted from the sudden light, I went to turn on the shower only to find an overly complicated system that really probably needed its own instruction manual. I pouted a bit since I could feel the sweat and dirt coating my skin, making me shiver in disgust.  
"For fucks sake." I cursed.  
After an irritating fifteen minutes of frustrated jostling and cursing I got the blasted thing to work. It felt like my skin was scalding, but it was better than the grime that clung to my body beforehand. I quickly dressed in the spare clothes that Alfred had left me that were definitely made for someone far taller than I. Still I was grateful, especially when my nose caught wind of a simply salivating smell that radiated from the kitchen below. My stomach felt as though it was beginning to eat itself so I quickly made my way to the source of the delicious scent.  
I found Alfred humming quietly as he placed the last plate in into the sea of food that engulfed the large dining room table. My eyes grew wide as I scanned the spread laid out before me.  
"Ah, I may have been a bit overzealous," Alfred said as he met my gaze. "I didn't know what you might like so I sort of made whatever came to mind."  
I didn't have words. He did this... all for me. Without a clue to who I am or what I am, he made this for me. Would it be alright for me to accept such a thing?  
"I should put some of this away, shouldn't I?" he said with a small chuckle.  
"No!" I finally said. "I should try it all, yeah?"  
He gave me a small smile and continued bustling about the kitchen as I ate, peeking over every now and then. I could feel myself becoming full, but couldn't bring myself to stop until I had in fact, tried every single dish.  
Eventually one of the many raven-haired occupants of the house appeared. The elder of the two boys entered into the kitchen. Tim, if I recall.  
"You really went all out, eh Alfred?"  
"Master Timothy, good evening." Alfred said with a smile and a nod.  
Tim gave a small smile back and then turned to me.  
"We should get you some clothes that actually fit you, um..."  
"Faye. For now."  
"Cool." he said with a smile.  
I stood up and moved to clean up after myself, but was quickly stopped by Alfred who began clearing off the table.  
"Don't you worry about that now, Miss...Faye," he said gently. "You go with Master Timothy and get some proper clothing."  
"Thank you, Alfred...really."  
He nodded, his smile growing wider. I followed Tim outside where a car was already waiting for us.  
"I don't really know what to get." I said as I climbed into the passenger's side and he in the driver's.  
"We can go to a few places that I know and just see how you feel," he responded with a smile. "Sound good?"  
I nodded silently as we sped off towards the city.  
I could feel a bout of nausea hit me as my overly stuffed stomach felt the motion of the car. I wrapped my arms around me, waiting for it to calm. Suddenly, the window cracked open, the cool night breeze hitting my face, calming me.  
"Did you really have to eat all that?" Tim said with a laugh.  
"He made it special." I said simply, turning to look at him.  
He chuckled.  
"How old are you?" I asked.   
He looked at me quizzically, but answered anyway.   
"Seventeen, almost Eighteen," he stated. "We thought you might be around my age, but after a few tests that you are probably a bit older. Around 20 to 22."  
"Are you trying to tell me that I look well for my age?"  
I was starting to realize that maybe I wasn't much better than the Hood when it came to snarky banter.   
"Dick is going to love you."  
I coughed.   
"Pardon?"  
Blood rushed to his cheeks as I looked at him wide-eyed.   
"N-no, no, no," he stuttered. "Its short f-for Richard! Not my... He's my brother! I mean, Dick is. Not my dick. I mean Richard who's nickname is Dick is my adoptive brother! I was not trying to come on to you!"  
I was already cackling. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried and failed to suppress my laughter all the while Tim continued to try and explain himself only making it worse the more he talked. For a second, I didn't feel the loneliness that seemed to constantly hang over me.


	7. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faye goes shopping for more suitable clothes and gets a date.

The city felt somewhat livelier this time around. Possibly since I wasn't bleeding to death in a secluded alley surrounded by sexual predators, but it was definitely a different feel from before. In this moment, Gotham didn't feel like the cesspool of crime that was described to me. I could see why Bruce, or rather Batman, would go out every night trying to protect it. Even with all the madness that filled the streets, the people still lived here as if to take a stand against those who would try to push them out. They didn't peek around every corner, waiting for an attack at a moments notice. As if they knew someone was looking out for them. I may not be particularly fond of Bruce, but I could respect his role as the protector of the city.

I think another part of my relaxed mood was the fact that it was fairly difficult to be in a bad mood around Tim. His lighthearted laughter and overall pleasant disposition was contagious. Though there were times I could see a certain look in his eyes as he watched me carefully, probably a request from the Batman himself, I still felt comforted by his presence. I didn't mind it much. I was still a potential threat after all.

"What about here?" he asked, pointing at a small shop on the corner. "I've never been here."

We had been searching about for quite sometime since I couldn't really figure out what sort of clothes I should get. Bruce had handed Tim his credit card stating that I could buy whatever I needed, but it was easier said than done. All the stores Tim brought me to were a bit... much. I felt bad for dragging him all about the city, but he refused to let me just pick something just to save time. Alfred and Tim are definitely a bit odd. Too kind for their own good.  
From what I knew so far about my personality, I would be a bit more like Bruce in this situation. I was dangerous. I didn't like to admit it, but I certainly was a rogue variable.

We made our way into the little shop Tim had pointed out, quickly stepping out of the now downpour of rain that fell from the sky. I began looking around, immediately feeling quite more comfortable with the choices available. It wasn't long before I found some pieces with help from the excitable saleswoman. She was very enthusiastic about showing me pieces that suited my body type almost as if she was playing with a new doll. Tim waited patiently, giving me a smile of approval each time the saleswoman forced me to parade around in a new outfit. Besides the overenthusiastic woman, I felt far more comfortable in this shop than the outrageously overpriced shops Tim had shown me. These clothes felt a bit more like me. Whoever that may be.

It was weird having to slowly learn basic things about myself. How I spoke. How I looked. And now even how I dressed. I'd admit that it was a bit exciting even if it was so little in comparison of what little I knew about myself. I still don't even know my real name, but this, this felt like a huge step into finding out who I am.

"I'm going to go get the car," Tim said as we finished up checking out. "Wait here for a sec, okay?"

He quickly ran off into the rain as I stood under the awning just right outside of the store. The street traffic grew lighter as the rain continued to pour down leaving only me and a few stray people, rushing to get out of the rain.

"Have a nice girls trip with lil' Timmy?"

I spun around to see the Hood leaning against the wall, probably with a smug look on his face. I was so entranced by the rain that I didn't even hear him walk up behind me.

"Must you always be this irritating?"

"Must you always be this easy to irritate?"

Snarky mouth. Though I'm not sure I'm one to talk.

"Ready to ditch the kid and go for some real fun?"

I gave him an eyebrow raise.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Absolutely, princess."

Brash as ever.

"I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm ready to run off with you at the drop of the hat, but please tell me what it was so I can refrain from doing it again." I spat.

"Come on, kid," he complained as he took a step towards me. "You go back to that mansion they're gonna keep you under house arrest until they find out every little thing about you. And from personal experience, it's going to be quite awhile before that. So why not extend this little field trip and ditch the replacement?"

"Replacement?" I questioned.

"Come on, Faye. Live a little." he begged, ignoring me.

I hated that he was right. How long would it be before Bruce let me out again? I had a feeling that it would take far more than Alfred to convince him and he seemed to be the only person capable of reasoning with him. I might have moved up from being stuck in the cave, but I was still very much stuck. I sighed, handing my bags to the Hood, finally giving in.

"Sorry, Tim." I whispered.

Hood led me to his motorbike, stuffing my bags into the seat compartment and then holding out a helmet. I eyed the bike suspiciously and then looked at him.

"Is there anything about you that doesn't scream 'absolutely do not go near him'?"

"If there was, would you be here?" he joked pushing the helmet onto my head since I refused to grab it. "Its more fun that way."

"Is that what you think women like?" I asked, pushing the visor up so I could give him a well deserved glare.

"No," he replied getting on the bike. "It's what I think you like."

I scoffed, but still got on after him, gripping his waist.

"Just go, you ass."

"All right. Date night!" he shouted as we shot off down the street.


End file.
